Why should it? Mike Sinnett, suggested to a room full of journalists. "The certification plan is designed to lift the AD (airworthiness directive) to fully comply and there will be no additional limitations on the airplane following the lifting of the AD."

"How can it not be?" I was told by an experienced FAA observer familiar with the ongoing deliberations. In considering whether twin-engine aircraft can operate over water for lengths of time between three hours, which the Dreamliner presently holds and five and a half hours which the planemaker promised to its 787 customers, the FAA must determine if the batteries are part of the plane's electrical system. If so, that makes those lithium batteries troublesome once again because under ETOPs certification all airplane systems must remain available throughout a maximum duration diversion.

Faced with a battery with a propensity to smoke and sizzle as demonstrated by two events in the span of a week in January, Boeing has taken an isolate and disable approach in the new battery design it is proposing to the FAA. Setting aside the question of whether this kind of battery can be certifiable under the one in a billion standard (because I've already blogged about that here) if Boeing can't convince the regulators to give back the plane's ETOPs rating, there are going to be some very, very, angry 787 purchasers.

"The fix that we're proposing," Sinnett told reporters one month ago, "is considered a permanent and complete set of fixes and so we've got no limitations on the airplane that results from that." Uh, Mike, wanna give Huerta a call?

The Dreamliner on its world tour in Addis Ababa 2011

Back in the Dreamliner's golden months - before it surpassed laptops and cell phones as the symbol for the frailties of lithium ion (read about the NTSB hearing on the subject here) - the description given to this airplane was "game changer". Come 'on, you've heard it too. That moniker was used to describe how the 787 capabilities would create new ways to connect the world. Now it looks more like if Boeing wants to change the game, its going to have to start by changing the rules.